The American Slave-Trade: An Account of Its Origin, Growth and Suppression

The American Slave-Trade: An Account of Its Origin, Growth and Suppression

Author: John R. Spears

Year: 1900

Spears, John R. The American Slave-Trade: An Account of Its Origin, Growth and Suppression . Illustrated by Walter Appleton Clark, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1900. 1. Historical Context This book was written in 1900, during the post-Reconstruction and Jim Crow era—a time when the legacy of slavery still shaped American society. Spears examines the Atlantic slave trade's role in the founding and economic growth of British North America, focusing heavily on the hypocrisy, profit motive, and eventual moral awakening that led to abolition. His narrative is shaped by the late 19th-century understanding of race, commerce, and progress, when America was reflecting on its own past to justify or critique contemporary racial politics. 2. Core Issues Presented The key issues include the economic motivations behind the slave trade, the brutality endured by enslaved Africans during capture, transport, and resale, and the legislative and naval efforts to suppress the trade. Spears presents slavery as a moral and civic failing that corrupted both North and South. He highlights the complicity of religious figures, American colonists, and foreign governments, while emphasizing how legal suppression d